Reciprocating pump



Sept. 7, `1937. -1.-H. DoRAN 2,092,641

RECIPROCATING PUMP Filed July 6, 1955 37 4 O l L 6 'g Inventov a; LX 36 26 --a/r John H. Bowan1 `Patented Sept. 7, 1937 .UNITE-D STATES PATENT oF-Flce John H. Doran, Scotia, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 6, y1935, .'Serial Nog. 30,085 1 claim. p (or 1035169) The present inventionrelates to reciprocating pumps for compressing a fluid or for `forcing a fluid, such as water, froma point'of lowipressure. to a point of high pressure. Such pumps may. be used, for instance, as an auxiliary in elastic fluid powerplants to `supply feed water to `afboilenas is described more'fully in the application of I Glenn B. Warren, Serial No. 37,704, filed onthe same date as the presentapplication and assigned to the same assignee.

The present invention has for its object anaimproved arrangement and method of manufacturing multi-cylinder reciprocating pumps whereby a simple, compact design, reliable inoperation, can be produced at comparatively low cost.

For a consideration of what I believe tobe novel and my invention, attention is directed to .the following vdescription and the cla-im appended thereto in connection with the Aaccompanying drawing.

Fig. l of the drawing illustrates a frontview, partly in section, of arecprocating pump ernbodying my invention; Fig..2 is a sectional view along thexline 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. ,3 is anrenlarge-d sectional view of azpart of Fig. 11 and a View along line 3 3 of Fig. 4; Fig. Llis aviewalong line-4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlargedrview alongline 5--5 of `Fig.l6; Fig. Gis a'view along line B-Bof Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a perspective View of apart-of Fig. l.

The pump hasta cylinder structure includinga block .IU made, preferably forged, 4from a solid `piece of :material :such as steel. A plurality of parallel bores II, I2 and I3 are formedin `the block `Il) to define Icylinders-or compression and suction chambers Ill.` The upper face of the block I has two rows of recesses. Each chamber I4 communicates through a channel I5 with a recess I6 of one row and through a channel .I'I with a recess I8 of the other-row. In the present instance, in which I .have shown la 'five-cylinder pump, the channel I5 for the central pump, `if viewed from the front, iscentrally conncctedfto the corresponding recess .f `I .Ii (Fig. 1). Thechannel I5 with respectto the bore/I2 is connected to the left-hand end of the corresponding recess I6 (Fig. 2), whereas thechannel I5 4for the bore II is also connected to the left-hand end of the corresponding recesses I6 and at the same timeinclined with respect1to thefcenter line of thetbore II (Fig. 1). I prefer'this particular connection in that it reducesthe distance between the adjacent bores II, I2, I3, permittingaconsiderable ,reduction ofv the-length of the.crank.shaft,1descrbed hereinafter. The channels I5 with thefrecesses, I.6,forrnintake or suction conduits, ,whereas the-channels :k7-(with the recesses I8 form outlet or discharge conduits as will be more fully explained hereinafter. Each cylinder includes a packing of considerable length formed by two sleeves I9 and 20 and an intermediate or spacing member 2|. The sleeves-and the spacing memberare disposed'in a recessed portion ofthe bore Il; and held in positionby a gland 22 fastened to the flowerfface'of the cylinder block by screws 23 (Fig. 2') The bracket 22 also serves to accommodatesa packing 24. Thelpackngs are preferably made-frorn a material Vincluding a phenolic condensation product unitedby an artificial resin. I have found-that; such packing gives good results when 4used'i-n-boi1er feed water pumps. In the presentinstance the spacing member 2| forms a plurality of lateral openings-communicating with achannel 25 for-.draining'uidleaking along the cylinder. A plunger 2Iis provided for each cylinder. 7Thejplunger has a` central bore 21 extendi ing-` substantially through the entire length of the fplunger in `order to reduce its weight and to permit effective cooling. An extension 28 of theplunger 1231s connected toy a. cylindrical crosshead 25J..Y The connection is accomplished by meansoftwo substantially half-circular clamps 13,0!engagngan `abutment 3I of'the plunger and .beingzfastenedto .the upper face of the cylindrical crosshead 2.9 by means of bolts 32. The eX- tension 28 is reduced in diameter as compared with thediameterof the plunger `26 to'form a `shoulder v133. `The shoulder has an undercut ,groove 34.(Fign6) to reduce any possible flowof `leakage from the plunger` 2li alongits extension .28. Liquid?` such as water, flowing along the plunger Z8-,drops therefrom at the sharp edge defined by theundercut-shouldered portion. Such liquid-iscollected in apan (Figs. 5 and 6) com- .prisingytwo halves 35 and 36 secured together by bolts 3-'I-a .ndlforming openings 38 through which .crossheads are reciprocated by acrank shaft `I3 .connected theretoby armsAd and pins 45. The .arms All. areprovidedin known manner `with central bores 46 .for `conducting lubricant to the .pins .45 andzthe-cylindrical surface of the crossheads;

fabricated crank casing'll'l and supported thereon by suitable bearings 48 weldedtothe walls ,.of-t-thecrank casing. The-crosshead`block 39 is '.fastenedto the crank-casing by WellsdlQ. Lubri- 'scant` -supplied to the crossheads during .operation-is returnedto-an oilpchamber defined `within the crank casing. The oil is prevented from leaking upwardly along the cylindrical crossheads by the packing rings 42. A flange 50 is secured by a Weld 5I to the upper ends of the The lcrank shaft =43 is disposed in av therein.

crosshead block 39 and the crank casing 41. The cylinder block I is spaced from and secured to the crosshead block 39. In the present instance this is accomplished by means including spacing members 52 secured at their upper ends to the lower face of the cylinder block I0 by welds 53 and secured at their lower ends to a flange 54 by welds 55. The flange 54, thus forming an integral part of the cylinder block, is secured to the flange 50 forming an integral part of the crosshead block and the crank casing by means of bolts 56.

The aforementioned pan 35, 36 for collecting leakage is fastened to the flange 54 by bolts 51.

A head comprising a valve plate 60 and a top plate 6I is fastened to the upper recessed surface of the cylinder block by means of a plurality of bolts 62. A gasket 62a which may be in the form of a copper wire is provided on each side of the valve plate 6D. Fluid is conducted to the inlet channel I5 of the central cylinder bore I3 by means including an inlet or suction conduit 83 secured to the top plate 6I and communicating with a recess or chamber 64 formed This chamber 64 communicates with the recess I6 through four openings 65 in the valve plate 6U. The supply to the recesses I6 for the outer cylinder bores II and I2 is similar but includes two horizontal channels 66 and recesses 61 formed in the top plate 6I and registering with the openings or bores 65. The flow of fluid from the suction conduit 63 through the openings 65 to the recesses I6 is controlled by suction valve means. The suction valve means for each cylinder comprises four Valve plates or members 88 (Figs. 3 and 4) in cooperative relation with valve seats 69 and biased towards the Valve seats by means including a spring 10 for each valve plate. The four springs 10 of each suction valve means are disposed in a cage 12 having legs 12a secured to the lower face of the valve plate 60 by a bolt 13. The legs 12a dene passages for the flow of fluid into the recess I6 from the openings 65. The cage 12 forms at the same time a guide for the Valve plates 68. The valve seats 69 are uniformly spaced about a common axis which is the center line of the bolt 13. Experience has shown that the provision of a plurality of suction valves controlling the flow through comparatively small individual bores is preferable over the provision of a single large valve plate controlling the flow through a comparatively large bore.

The means for discharging fluid from the channels I1 and the recesses I8 are similar to the means just described for supplying fluid to the inlet channels I5. The discharge means comprise a discharge conduit 14 secured to the top plate and a recess 15 for each cylinder in the lower surface of the top plate 6I. The recesses 15 are connected by channels 'I6 and communicate with the recesses I8 through openings 11, there being four openings with respect to each cylinder. The flow of fluid from the recesses I8 to the recesses 'I5 is controlled by discharge valve means 18, similar to the valve means just described above but disposed in the recesses 15, that is, on the opposite side of the valve plate 60 as compared with the provision of the suction valve means. Otherwise the discharge valve means are the same as the inlet Valve means including four valve plates uniformly spaced about a common center and biased towards seats by means including springs and a cage secured to the upper surface of the valve plate 66 by a bolt 19.

All of the valve seats defined on the valve plate are flat and disposed in the same plane. This is an important feature of my invention because it reduces considerably the cost of manufacture and repair. Grinding and regrinding of individual valve seats is no longer necessary. All of the valve seats for the inlet and outlet valves respectively may be formed by a single grinding, milling, or like machining operation. Wear of valve seats is reduced if they are formed on a hard material. To this end a disk 8G of hard material, such as hardened steel, is provided for each group of valves. The disks 8H are securely held in annular recesses 8| formed in the valve plate 60.

In the modification shown in Fig. '1, the valve seats for the inlet valves are formed by a single plate 82 of hard material secured to one side of a valve plate 83 corresponding to the plate 60 of Fig. 1 by means of a weld 84, and the seats for the outlet valves are formed in a single plane by another single plane plate 85 secured to the opposite side of the plate 83 by a weld 86.

During operation, downward or suction strokes of the plungers 26 create a vacuum within the cylinders, permitting the inlet valve plates 68 to open, thereby admitting fluid to the cylinders. During the upward stroke of the plungers the inlet valve means are closed and as the fluid reaches a certain pressure the outlet valve means 18 open, thereby permitting discharge of fluid v from the discharge recesses I8, through the openings 11 into the recesses 15, whence the fluid ows through the horizontal bores 16 to the central recess 15 to be discharged through the discharge conduit 14.

Having described the method of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A reciprocating pump including a cylinder block having a plurality of uniformly spaced bores defining cylinders and a plurality of uniformly spaced intake recesses communicating with corresponding cylinders, the central distance between adjacent cylinders being less than that of the corresponding adjacent recesses, means including a plurality of other recesses formed in the block for receiving fluid discharged from the cylinders, intake and discharge valves associated with said recesses, a plunger for each cylinder, and means including a crank shaft for reciprocating the plungers, the crank shaft being of comparatively short length due to the close spacing of the cylinders, the intake and discharge recesses being arranged in two adjacent rows on the upper surface of the cylinder block, oppositely inclined channels for connecting the upper ends of the cylinders with corresponding intake and discharge recesses.

JOHN H. DORAN. 

